It's six hours on from full-time at the Riverside and the squad that became history makers and heroes earlier that day are celebrating promotion at an end-of-season do at Rockliffe.

The players are there, so too the manager. And the chairman. And the trophy that the players lifted on the pitch, creating images and memories that will last a lifetime.

Ben Gibson, the player, the fan, still wears the smile that hasn't budged from his face since thousands of Boro fans invaded the pitch. He still wears his matchday shirt.

"It's quite a long story," he says, recalling the hours that followed a day which will live with him forever.

"Some of the lads went home and got changed after the game, which I didn't know about, because we were going straight to Rockliffe for the team do.

"My peg in the stadium is the first one nearest to the door that leads to the tunnel and basically my match shirt was covered in champagne.

"I never swapped my match shirt at half-time, I don't believe in it, so I had one clean match shirt and that was all that was available. I've put that on and that's what I wore at Rockliffe all night thinking the lads would be in their club suits, and they were all there in their own gear.

"Obviously we went from Rockliffe to the Dickens and then to the Tees Valley Arena and I was in my Boro shirt all night."

Ben Gibson during the Brighton game

You get the impression he'd happily still have it on now, for the pride in what he's achieved is all too evident as he reflects on achieving a dream.

Gibson has come a long way since he joined Stokesley Under-7s, despite the fact he was a year younger than his teammates - his potential already shining through.

He's come a long way since he moved to Marton a year or two later and then on to Boro's Academy at around the time he was starting secondary school.

He's come a long way since making his debut against Coventry City as an eager yet understandably nervy 18-year-old back in April of 2011.

A teenage dreamer then, a key part of the current squad both on and off the pitch now and boasting all the qualities to suggest he's a club captain of the future.

'Shivers down my spine'

He describes himself as a "normal lad", a "normal lad who's worked hard and done quite well for himself".

"When I'm on the pitch and I'm there on the shoulders of the lad after full-time, stuff like that will stay with me forever," he says.

"I've obviously grown up watching Middlesbrough and even though I wanted to be a footballer you never think you're going to achieve it.

"It's just your wildest dream, but to then go and achieve something like that which has only been done a few times, getting back into the Premier League, it's just frightening.

"When I talk about it now I get shivers down my spine.

"When you have dreams, and I'm lucky enough to have achieved those dreams, when you tick one off you look to the next one.

"So when I ticked my debut off it was then becoming a regular, when I ticked that off it was getting this club out of this league.

"To have done that, to have ticked another off already, is frightening. The next one is obviously to play in the Premier League.

Ben Gibson celebrates after the 2015 play-off semi-final win

Gibson adds: "I think that's the mentality that's got us into this position and whatever happens, nobody can ever take those memories away from me now; from me, from my family, my friends, the town.

"We've gone down in history and I tell some of the lads who might not know what it means, if they're not from the area, they don't know just how important it was for the town.

"I try and tell them what it means and I know Stewie and Woody do the same."

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Not that he wasn't aware, but Gibson was reminded of the sheer importance of that Brighton game on various occasions in the week up to the decider, a week he admits felt like an eternity.

"I went to get my hair cut in the week ahead of the game and you know what Middlesbrough is like, it was a nice day so everyone was outside in their shorts and t-shirt," he says.

"Marton shops was quite busy and I had people coming up to me. You could just sense how massive it was, it was the talk of the town and all they wanted was to wish you good luck. Everyone was really positive.

"And in the aftermath it was no different, everyone was so jubilant, people singing Boro songs and everyone was so happy for each other.

'Whoever could hack it met back at the Dickens'

"I think there's only our town where players would mix with fans like that.

"And credit to the lads because I've been in some teams where players would turn their noses up at things like that but none of the lads in our team were bothered about that.

"They couldn't wait to get in the thick of it. They're all good people and it's nice to give a little bit back and share some of those experiences with the fans.

"My family were there, people who I didn't know where there, we all wanted the same goal and ultimately we achieved it."

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What Gibson touches on about the togetherness in the town rings true.

There's been a tangible feel of unity between the current squad and the fanbase, strengthened by the incredible scenes on the pitch at full-time against Brighton and the wonderful images and videos of the players celebrating in the Dickens the next day.

A special text from the skipper

"We'd all agreed on the Saturday night that whatever time we got in, a good core of us, whoever fancied it or whoever could hack it basically, would be back down the Dickens for 11 o'clock the next morning," he laughs.

"We'd have a breakfast and get back on to the celebrating. To be honest, the adrenaline pulls you through.

"That rush that we had, I didn't need to sleep for days.

"Every time I thought about it, every time someone spoke about it, every time I looked through my phone to go through my messages I'd get a shiver down my spine.

"It was the best week of my life, bar none."

He tells of a text he received from skipper Grant Leadbitter earlier this week.

"He's on holiday and he was watching a play-off game and he just text me a picture of me and him cuddling from the game and said 'we did it'.

"When I got that I got shivers down my spine.

Ben Gibson and Grant Leadbitter embrace after the Brighton game (Image: MFC)

"I remember a couple of days after the game I looked at my phone and I'd had a text from Eric Dier, who's had a fantastic season at Spurs. I'm close friends him with and he text me saying 'congratulations, absolutely delighted for you and can't wait to see you at the Lane next year'.

"It's little things like that. Yeah, we're going to White Hart Lane with the Boro again. It's those little things which have all been priceless."

Gibson admits the celebrations over the past fortnight stem from relief as well as delight but he never once considered not winning promotion this season.

The belief within the squad, he insists, never dwindled.

'What it means to me, Woody and Stewie'

"Firstly, we believed from the minute we got beat in the play-off final last season, because we thought we were so close with that squad and this squad is the same but better basically, with all due respect to those who left.

"And the younger lads, people like myself, were a year on - the experience could only make us stronger so we were very confident.

"We had a few blips and a few downpoints but that's what makes it all the more special.

"From those experiences we always believed 100% that we would get promoted. I know when people are stressing out around you, my family and friends are saying 'how can you keep saying that when you've dropped six points at Rotherham and Charlton, how can you keep saying things like that' but we knew as a squad we would pull each other through.

"Sometimes we didn't do it the easy way but we've got good characters, good people and leaders more importantly and we put our heads together and said this is what we've got to do. Ultimately, we did it."

Stewart Downing, Grant Leadbitter and Ben Gibson celebrate knocking Manchester United out of the Capital One Cup

Keeping a cool head while people "stress" around him is something Gibson has learnt to deal with.

"I think that's part and parcel of playing for your hometown club," he says.

"You've got to accept that whether you're going for a meal or if you're out with your family, Middlesbrough Football Club will be the talk.

"It's always the talk of our town. My family and friends are no different, so in that respect sometimes it is hard to get away.

"I've had to say to people, listen you're banned from talking about it tonight. My mam is the worst for putting the radio on, BBC Tees.

"Sometimes you need to take a step back. So in that week, in the build-up to the game, I said don't be putting that radio on around me, don't be putting those papers under my nose, because you have to get away from it.

"But then on the same note, I think it probably means even more to me, to Woody and to Stewie and it makes it even more special that you can celebrate that with your family and friends.

"You know what they're feeling, you know what the town is feeling. It's something that you have to accept.

"It's worth it for me, every little bit of stick and every bit of stress."

Steve Gibson celebrates after the final whistle against Brighton

When Gibson talks about how much it means to his family, the reference includes, of course, the club chairman.

"He deserves it more than anyone because what he's done for this club and this town is beyond a joke, he's amazing," he says.

"But again, he's a normal person who wants his hometown club and also his business to succeed.

"He knows the impact it will have on the town, the people, and that's why he was so desperate for it to happen.

"He wants to get back in with the big boys and to bring the good times back to this town. We all know it's been hard lately, it's been a struggle and people have lost jobs. It's been difficult and the one ray of light has been the football. Now we're back in the Premier League that light is shining again."

'I'll set targets with dad'

He moves from Steve Gibson the chairman to Steve Gibson the family man, the fan.

"We had Sunday dinner the week before the Brighton game, so after the Birmingham game, and he was saying the same as I was. He's no different and he'll feel the same way as the fans feel.

"But as for our relationship with football, he wouldn't speak to me about football unless we were doing contracts or whatever.

"We talk about Middlesbrough Football Club, it would be the same as me and you having a conversation, and we'll talk about the game, the fans, do we think we can do it - yes - but we won't talk about individuals.

"Our relationship is a purely professional one in that respect. Firstly, I wouldn't tell him that stuff because I have a loyalty to the players and secondly he wouldn't put me in the position to ask.

"As I say, we're family but our relationship regarding football is purely professional."

Ben Gibson celebrates after Boro's over Hull

He turns his attention to the summer. A well-deserved break to Dubai will be followed by a trip to Portugal for Gibson with his family, friends and girlfriend.

It's in the Algarve where he'll sit down with his dad and set targets for the season ahead. He does it every year.